THE LOVERS (1970)
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Geoffrey: It's fascinating how the human mind matures. A mere year ago I thought she looked about as sexy as Malcom Muggeridge. But now I don't think that at all - I'm bloody certain!
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One of Richard's most famous appearances is as the boyfriend of Paula Wilcox in a sitcom called The Lovers. He played the part of Geoffrey, a young lad who has heard all about the Permissive Society and is trying his hardest to become a to become a member of it. His girfriend Beryl, played by Paula Wilcox is largely against this idea of "Percy Filth" before marriage and is constantly leading him on and turning him down, adoring him and falling out with him, and generally confusing both him and herself in every episode. The only one who knows what's going on is her mother who seems to have Beryl completely under her control at all times... and Geoffrey can't do a thing about it because the majority of the time he spends with her is sat on her mother's sofa.
Writer Jack Rosenthall:
"When we came to audition actors for the part of Geoffrey in The Lovers we already had Paula Wilcox to play Beryl. Actor after actor after actor would have the part explained to him, do a little reading, and then say to the Director and the Producer and me 'I know exactly who can play this part'. I'd never heard of Richard so I tried to find out where he was, and he was doing a play in Hull in Yorkshire. I went up there, arranged to meet Richard at the only time he could arrange - which was imbetween shows - and he came round for a cup of tea. The doorbell rang and in walked the perfect Geoffrey."
Beryl had two names for her boyfriend which became famous catchphrases. He was "Geoffrey Bobbles Bon Bon" when she fussed over him adoringly, and "Percy Filth" when he became too amorous. Nothing ever happened between the couple, and every night Geoffrey would fall asleep alone in his room with his lifesize Bardot cut out, and Beryl would fuss over the Paul McCartney picture at the side of her bed, the only guy she wanted to be Percy Filth all the time.
The show seems to be largely created for a female audience, but Geoffrey's struggles gained a lot of sympathy from males who had experiance of his situation. Despite his lack of success with the lady in his life, he became quite the hero amongst the men, playing a typical lad who was totally obsessed with football. He even started a bit of a trend, keeping a Manchester United badge under his lapel in the series which he'd show to his footie mates like a ritual when they met, prompting the chant "Charlton for Pope" "Long May Hey Reign" "Amen". It was like a strange secret society meeting ritual to the unaware.
Co-star Paula Wilcox:
"He had this lovely kind of slow delivery and an amazingly kind of relaxed attitude infront of the camera, and infact in life, that made him able to portray that innocense that Geoffrey had... Certainly the men in the audience so identified with the character of Geoffrey that their response was wonderful."
Beryl: How long have we been going out together?
Geoffrey: Since the day after jammy Milan beat unlucky United on agrogate to win the European Cup.
Beryl: And how long is that on a normal human calendar?
Geoffrey: Sixty-eight/Sixty-nine season! City won the cup, Derby won promotion, and somehow Leeds managed to struggle up to League Championship.
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Granada Television made a total of 2 series and 13 episodes which were transmitted in 1970-1971 and have been repeated countless times over the years. It isn't known as a classic comedy, but it's a very endearing one and can't help but attract large audiences of contented viewers who don't care about the plot never advancing further than Beryl and Geoffrey falling out and making up again in every episode. Although viewers never saw their future they always had the feeling the battles between the two would continue until Geoffrey put a wedding ring on Beryl's finger, Beryl's mum was forced to accept him. The series was eventually turned into a one off film.
Second wife Judy remembers the premiere of the film with great fondness:
"It was wonderful that the Lovers had it's... it sounds rather grand... but it's world premiere in Manchester. We arrived in the limo and the door was opened. As we walked through there was a sort of trumpet fanfare which completely took me by surprise, and okay I was probably in a fairly emotional state - I was feeling so bursting with pride for him, and I was seven months pregnant as well so probably slightly on the edge - and seeing my father's face and his parents' face and going through all these people beaming, and my lower lip started to go, and I thought I'm going to completely fall apart here. I'm nervous and I'm so moved by this. It was a real feeling."
"He came over as being very endearing, very sweet and very innocent," recalls screen-girlfriend Paula.
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